Study about the enviromental impacts of deep-sea mining (September 2013)

This literature study describes the expected ecological consequences of deep-sea mining on the marine environment. It starts with an overview of national and international environmental investigations carried out in the past decades. Furthermore, the study provides a detailed overview of current international projects, technological developments as well as important legal framework conditions. In addition to some general conclusions, concrete recommendations regarding the work package technologies, environmental investigations, ecological consequences and legal conventions will be derived.All facts and aspects discussed in this study refer to the following types of marine mineral resources: manganese nodules, polymetallic crusts, massive sulphides as well as metalliferous muds.Find a detailed summary of the study here.